Pacifier or thumb?

CaityEMC · August 2014

Hi ladies- if this has been discussed elsewhere please point me in that direction!

LO has been using a pacifier for the last few weeks but has now discovered her thumb. Hubby hates the pacifier but I hate the idea of the thumb because you can't take it away. My question is- are we supposed to let her pick which she wants- or try to push one or the other?(aka push the pacifier so I can then wean her from it instead of putting duck tape over her thumbs in five years) just curious what everyone else is thinking/planning in doing with this!

Aaward1658 · August 2014

I'm all for the thumb. She's in the process if learning to find it, she sucks her fist right now. I know you can't take it away, but if she can self soothe with a permanently attached part I'm pretty happy that I don't have to buy/wash/keep track of another thing.

jenlynne0624 · August 2014

Our pedi told us to use a paci because it's easier to wean from later. Granted, once he's in his crib, if he would take the paci and it would fall out, he can always latch onto his hand and there isn't anything that can be done about it. H isn't really a big fan of the pacifier; it's really hit or miss if he will take it or not, and he definitely won't go to sleep with it.

k2k2tog · August 2014

I'd love my LO to latch onto her thumb... she's trying, which means she's constantly knocking out her pacifier, waking herself up, and not actually properly finding her thumb. It's very frustrating.

If you've gotten advice from your doctor, you should probably follow that, but honestly, if she finds her thumb, I wouldn't worry too much about weaning her from it later. Everyone stops sucking their thumb eventually! Whatever you decide to push or not push will be fine. There's no right answer!

(Having said that, I'm sure someone is going to bring up a story of a thumb-sucking adult... there are always exceptions!)

nunzchucks · August 2014

I love that mine finds his thumb. He soothes himself to sleep which is huge. Eventually the thumb sucking will stop. He's not going to suck his thumb in HS.

steprozz · August 2014

I wish B would suck anything! we finally found a paci that he can kind of work with and he tries to suck his fist but he can't really figure out the thumb thing. I just want him to have something to self soothe. I always said my kids will never suck their thumbs because I did until like 4 or 5 and it made my teeth and palate all wonky but at this point, I would be happy if he could do either! I say let her do whatever works for her

izzetoot · August 2014

I let my little guy suck on whatever he wants- paci, hands, blanket, toys.. you name it and he'll put it in his mouth. Im a FTM so I don't have a problem with him sucking his thumb later but I know a lot of STM+ that really try to avoid thumb sucking. Whats the deal with that? Is it really that terrible? And Im asking with true sincerity not snark…

b48kate · August 2014

How can I stop this cuteness? I can't.

brooklyngirl46 · August 2014

DH wants dd to have a pacifier, but I only use it for bedtime. I love watching her find her fingers, and the wonky way she sucks on her thumb (fingers spread out).

Cherylwang · August 2014

I love how baby's looks sucking their little thumbs. Although my niece sucked her fingers for years. Gross. She always had fingers in her mouth until she was like 4. You can't take fingers away. Her nose was raw from her hand always resting on it.

kks4471 · August 2014

He spits the pacifier out after 5 minutes, so I hardly ever use that. Now he's finding his fist, and I'm trying very hard to not be nervous about it. I had horribly crooked front teeth from finger sucking, and needed braces to fix it. I don't want to be a paranoid FTM, so for now I'm letting him discover and suck his hand. Just hope it's easy to wean off later on.

Jenn111211 · August 2014

sempre_staccato said:
I'd love my LO to latch onto her thumb... she's trying, which means she's constantly knocking out her pacifier, waking herself up, and not actually properly finding her thumb. It's very frustrating.

If you've gotten advice from your doctor, you should probably follow that, but honestly, if she finds her thumb, I wouldn't worry too much about weaning her from it later. Everyone stops sucking their thumb eventually! Whatever you decide to push or not push will be fine. There's no right answer!

(Having said that, I'm sure someone is going to bring up a story of a thumb-sucking adult... there are always exceptions!)

How about a high school junior? Lol

ELC252011 · August 2014

Ds does thumb finger or fist. I never found a paci she liked.

mattanda2011 · August 2014

I figure baby is going to do what baby is going to do. My DD had a paci which we weaned at 6 months because she was waking up for it but unable to replace it herself. Two months later she started sucking 2 fingers and still does.

cinnamonsmiles · August 2014

DH really preferred that we push the paci as he relied on neither but as I was a thumb sucker/same reasons everyone else said I've been somewhat lackadaisical about consistently giving it to him. He's found his hands now and will suck on his fists at every opportunity. I know he does it during the night so I doubt I'd be able to cut that habit anyway.

FWIW, DH and I both had to have braces (him due to overbite, me due to having too small a mouth) so I'm not even sure thumb sucking = braces consistently rings true either.

kd&cd · August 2014

We push the soother. When she has her hand in her mouth we take it out and give her the soother and she is more than happy to suck on that instead. We feel the same as you do, easier to take away a soother than a hand later on!

MrsRahl · August 2014

My husband as a kid had a serious thumb sucking problem almost into middle school. They even had to use this weird thumb guard with plastic shield that went over his thumb and a corset thing around his wrist. It was ridiculous, which didn't work along with many other things like bad tasting things on his thumb, etc.. i dont allow her because I know that gene may be lurking in her and I don't want to deal with that. Luckily though she doesn't like either. I offer the paci but most all just make her more mad and she fights it going in with her tongue.

Julie&Micah · August 2014

We go for the binkie for the reason many others say, easier to break later. DS has discovered his fist and like to chomp/suck his fist and arm. During the day I try and replace as I see him do that. At night and nap time he is in the Woombie, so he can't get at his hands even if he tries

. I usually never have to replace the binkie at night when it falls out but usually do once during nap time. It's working so far for us

MarciP83 · August 2014

My guy is usually a paci man, but lately he's drooling everywhere and gnawing on anything that grazes his lips. It's actually pretty funny and completely adorable. His most recent victim was his frog, which we have (ridiculously) nicknamed Shrog...

fsumom · August 2014

DS prefers his thumb and usually spits out his pacifier.

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